MONDAY Proverbs 3:1-6
“Wisdom” (treated as a person—see Proverbs 1:20-21) spoke Proverbs 3. These verses are packed with meaning. “Prosperity” in verse 2 is actually shalom in Hebrew, a word that meant God-given peace and wholeness. “Do not be wise in your own eyes” (verse 7) was not about healthy confidence, but about self-sufficient pride that saw no need for God’s wisdom in deciding what is right and wrong.
- Some writers say “Trust in the LORD with all your heart” means to “bet your life” on God’s goodness and wisdom. In what areas do you actively trust that God’s way really is the best way to live? Are there parts of life where you want that trust to grow?
TUESDAY John 17:13-21
The night before he was crucified, John says, Jesus prayed as much or more for his followers as for himself. He asked God to “sanctify” them through the word of truth, the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 said, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” So knowing the Bible’s principles is a key starting point for living into God’s will for us.
- The Bible words we translate “sanctify” carried the root sense of “setting apart for a holy purpose.” Even wood or metal could, in that sense, be sanctified (e.g. Exodus 40:9-11). How can being set apart for a holy purpose shape your ways of living? Which Bible principles would people who know you say set you apart for God’s purposes?
WEDNESDAY Acts 15:1-4, 22-35
It was, of course, God’s will that the early Christians share the good news of Jesus far and wide. As they did, there came the almost inevitable day when someone said, “Wait—you’re teaching that? I don’t agree with that.” When that happened, they sought God’s will, not alone, but by getting together to pray, discuss and discern as a community.
- Instead of “going to war” as competing sides, what do you think motivated the early Christian believers to come together to work through their differing views? (Not everyone was convinced even after Acts 15—see, e.g., Philippians 3:2.) When has the wisdom of others helped you in your faith journey?
THURSDAY Romans 12:1-8
How do you, as a Christ-follower, live in accordance with God’s will for you? One aspect of that, Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, is to offer yourself as a living sacrifice. That does not involve elaborate rituals. Instead, Paul described a process of honestly assessing who you are and what gifts and talents you have to use in God’s service.
- In the ancient world, most people had made a sacrifice to some god. As a rule, that meant killing an animal to the right temple or shrine. What shift in thinking and acting sprang from Paul’s call to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice”? In what ways are you willing to put your life, yourself, “on the altar” to live daily for God?
FRIDAY Acts 16:1-10
This story shows us how the apostle Paul went about doing God’s will. He didn’t sit passively waiting for God to guide him supernaturally, but moved from town to town as he had planned. He always “stayed tuned,” however. God guided him in a special way to new territory for the Christian mission: the Aegean peninsula and the populous cities of Greece.
- Here, as in most of Acts, we see how Paul normally went about his business. He visited cities, added Timothy to his mission team, and preached and taught. We don’t see Paul mired in indecision or fear because he didn’t have a direct sign from God. When Paul woke up each day, how do you think he decided what to do, or where to go?
SATURDAY Philippians 2:12-18
In The Message of Philippians, commentator Alec Motyer wrote, “There is a worker in each of these verses: the Christian ‘working out’ in verse 12, and God ‘working in’ in verse 13. This points to a blend…of commitment to what we have to do and reliance on what God is doing.” God guides; God expects us to make sensible, obedient choices. We pray; we listen; we study the Bible; we ask other Christians to help us discern. And we trust God to guide our steps.
- James 1:5 promised, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” How have you learned to be both actively engaged in living your life of faith and trusting in God to do work in you that you cannot do for yourself? In what ways do you believe God has given you greater wisdom for living a life that steadily follows God’s will?